The best internet providers in Portland, Maine

What are the best internet providers in Portland, Maine?

spectrum Is the best choice for CNET’s overall internet provider in Portland. We recommend it as the ISP of choice for towns as it provides gigabit speed, reliable service that is available to 88% of Portland residents. The plan starts at $30 and the show plan costs $70. Fidium Fiber is a great option for Portland residents who need higher speeds, offering most gigabit plans.

If you are looking for the lowest price or the fastest speed, Fidium Fiber is the best choice. On the cheap end, it offers a 100 megabit per second plan for $20 per month, and it also has a 2 gigabit (2,000Mbps) layer if you need speed.

The best internet in Portland, Maine

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

Other available internet providers in Portland, Maine

• Red zone wireless: Redzone Wireless is available for nearly 92% of Portland’s residents, running $99 per month for 4G/5G high-speed internet.
• TK Network: TK Networks offers speeds up to 500Mbps, with a monthly package starting at $59 for 50Mbps service and priced at $129.
• Satellite Internet: Satellite Internet is available at almost every address in the country. However, this is not always the best option, as it is slower and the two-year contract commitments that Hughesnet and Viasat demand. An interesting option is Starlink, which has unlimited data and no contract requirements, but its device has a high upfront cost of nearly $349.

Cheap Internet Options in Portland, Maine

If you are searching for the cheapest internet plan in Portland, Fidium Fiber offers a $25 100Mbps plan per month. If you don’t have access to these fiber plans, Spectrum Advantage is only $30 per month.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

How to find internet deals and promotions in Portland, Maine

The best internet deals and top promotions in Portland, Maine will depend on the discounts available in a given time. Most deals are short-lived, but we often check for the latest offers.

Portland, Maine, Internet providers, such as Spectrum, may offer lower introductory pricing or streaming accessories for a limited time. You can also use the phone plan bundling for additional savings. Other providers including Fidium Fiber and T-Mobile run the same standard pricing throughout the year.

For a wider list of promotions, check out our guide on the best internet deals.

Portland, Maine, how fast is broadband?

According to the FCC, everyone in Portland can use at least 100Mbps. Ookla Data puts Portland’s download speed at a healthy 287Mbps speed, higher than the US median of approximately 274Mbps. (Disclosure: Ookla is owned by the same parent company as CNET.

Source: CNET analysis of provider data.

What is good internet speed?

Most Internet connectivity programs can now handle basic productivity and communication tasks. If you are looking for an internet plan that can accommodate video conferencing, streaming videos or games, you will get better experience and have a stronger connection. According to the FCC, this is an overview of the minimum download speeds recommended for various applications. Note that these are just guides – Internet speed, services and performance vary by connection type, provider and address.

For more information, see our guide on how much internet speed you really need.

• 0 to 5Mbps allows you to solve the basics – browse the internet, send and receive emails, and stream low-quality video.
• 5 to 40Mbps provides you with higher quality video streaming and video conferencing.
• 40 to 100Mbps should provide a user with enough bandwidth to meet the needs of modern remote office, video streaming and online gaming.
• 100 to 500Mbps allows one to perform high bandwidth activities for two users simultaneously, such as video conferencing, streaming and online gaming.
• 500 to 1,000Mbps allows three or more users to engage in high bandwidth activities simultaneously.

How CNET Chooses the Best Internet Provider in Portland, Maine

There are numerous and regional Internet service providers. Unlike the latest smartphones, laptops, routers, or kitchen tools, it is impractical to test every internet service provider in a given city in person. So what is our method? For beginners, we leverage a proprietary pricing, availability and speed database that draws mapping information from FCC.GOV’s Federal Communications Commission from our own historical ISP data, partner data and mapping information.

But that’s not over. We visit the FCC’s website to check our data and make sure we consider all ISPs that provide services in a certain area. We also enter our local address on the provider website to find specific options for residents. We look at resources including the U.S. Customer Satisfaction Index and JD Power to evaluate how satisfied ISP services have with customers. ISP plans and prices change frequently; all information provided is accurate as of publication.

Once this local information is obtained, we ask three main questions:

• Can providers access reasonable and fast internet speeds?
• Do customers get decent value for the money they pay?
• Are customers satisfied with their service?

Although the answers to these questions are often layered and complex, the three we recommend are closest to the provider of “yes”. When choosing the cheapest internet service, we look for the lowest monthly plan, although we also consider issues such as price increase, equipment fees and contracts. Choosing the fastest internet service is relatively simple. We view upload and download speeds on ads and consider actual speed data from sources such as Ookla and FCC reports.

To explore our process more deeply, visit our test ISP page.

What’s the last sentence of an internet provider in Portland, Maine?

It all depends on what you want as a family. If you are a regular internet consumer, the best choice for broadband providers is fixed broadband or T-Mobile Home Internet spectrum for fixed wireless, 5G coverage. If you need symmetric speeds (or desire for multi-intelligent speeds) for online gaming or remote work, your best bet will be Fidium Fiber.

Portland Internet Provider, Maine FAQ